Chapter 14530 Monitor

Dao Sha's eyes narrowed: "The watchers of the Extraterrestrial Sanctuary?"

“Hmm.” Jian Sha nodded. “Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, its high status and profound power gave me a sense of threat that was almost suffocating.”

Her gaze pierced through the tower walls, as if looking into the endless void, her worry deepening: "The waters of this world are much deeper and more dangerous than we originally anticipated."

Dao Sha remained silent.

The overall level of civilization in the Silent Realm is indeed far inferior to that outside the realm, but it is like a deep sea shrouded in mist, with calm surface but terrifying behemoths lurking in its depths.

Moreover, that being was a terrifying entity left by the Holy Temple at the entrance to the Realm of Annihilation to monitor it; no one knew how many such beings there were.

If their two original forms were here, they would naturally have nothing to fear from anyone.

But they were just two clones. Once their energy was used up, they would disappear. Once Ling Xiao died, their original bodies would never be able to escape again.

Sword Fiend steered the conversation back to reality: "What I'm most uncertain about right now is how many watchers are in this sanctuary? If there's only one, with all our and Ling Xiao's trump cards combined, we might still be able to hold our own. But if there's more than one..."

Dao Sha's gaze fell upon Ling Xiao's cultivation spot outside, his tone complex: "This guy... to have survived until now truly requires both luck and strength." Countless people, both inside and outside the realm, wanted his life. Fortunately, he had several powerful backers whose influence defied common sense; otherwise, he would have been dead long ago, even with ten lives.

Sword Demon's voice grew even lower: "Now, what I fear is no longer the Holy Temple, nor even those so-called monitors."

Dao Sha glanced sideways: "What do you mean?"

A hint of worry flashed in Jian Sha's eyes: "Ling Xiao seems easygoing and even a bit lazy on the surface, but deep down he's an extremely stubborn and ruthless character who's willing to fight to the death. If he's truly driven to the brink by the Holy Temple and has no way out, will he... break the seal on the Demon Needle?"

Upon hearing this, Dao Sha's expression instantly changed!
Break the seal!

That would mean the World-Destroying Needle would be out of control, and the entire Bai Ze Continent would be destroyed, not to mention the small Silent Realm.

And an even more terrifying chain reaction is the Moon Maiden!
That supreme being who regards all things in heaven and earth as straw dogs, yet shows special favor to Ling Xiao. If Ling Xiao were to truly perish in this realm, who can imagine what she, completely freed from constraints and driven mad, would do?
It's estimated that many will be dragged into a sea of blood and swords of revenge by her! At that time, in all the heavens and myriad realms, who can stop her? Who dares to stop her?

The mere thought of that scene weighed heavily on Jian Sha's heart, making it hard to breathe. The Moon Maiden in her normal state was already awe-inspiring; what would she be like driven mad by Ling Xiao's death? The mere thought sent chills down his spine.

Dao Sha asked in a hoarse voice, "Where is that Moon Maiden... and what is she doing right now?"

Jian Sha looked up, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through countless spatial barriers, his voice ethereal yet heavy: "She is bearing the karma for Ling Xiao... the boundless malice and causal threads from beyond the realm. If she hadn't used her supreme power to forcibly sever, shield, and bear the vast majority of them, those forces from the outside world would probably have already locked onto Ling Xiao and swarmed over."

She paused, as if using all her strength, before uttering that shocking truth:

"She is fighting against the causal backlash from the entire outer realm all by herself! All for the sake of protecting him, so that he can move forward without worry. This is also the real reason why she did not come to the Realm of Annihilation!"

Outside the Magic Needle Space.

The pure and boundless spiritual energy surged and billowed within the secret chamber like a tangible tide.

Ling Xiao sat cross-legged, the countless spirit crystals floating around him visibly dimming and fading, eventually transforming into a torrent of primordial energy that he swallowed whole. With each spirit crystal he absorbed, his aura grew stronger, and the faint sounds of wind and thunder emanated from within his body.

As the Overlord Emperor and the ruler of countless forces, resources and wealth are no longer a problem for him.

He even lost the concept of "price." As long as he expressed his need for spirit crystals, the vast intelligence and trade network of the Silent Realm would operate at full capacity, and allies would generously provide what he needed.

His only task now is to become stronger, and stronger still. This kind of treatment—being showered with countless resources and only needing to focus on cultivation—is truly intoxicating.

Only now did he truly understand the convenience brought by the word "power." With a single word, all directions followed, countless people went to great lengths for him, saving him from countless trivialities and troubles.

However, if given a choice, deep down he still yearns for the freedom of being alone and unrestrained. True freedom comes from having no worries in one's heart.

Unfortunately, he knew better than anyone that the current situation did not allow him to pursue personal freedom. His strength was not yet at its peak, and he was surrounded by powerful enemies; the so-called freedom was nothing but a mirage.

He must rely on the Overlord Empire and unite all available forces in the Realm of Annihilation to jointly confront the behemoth that is the Holy Temple.

If it weren't for the all-out assistance from forces like the Lord of the Silent Realm, the Overlord Empire alone would have had no chance of stabilizing its position in a direct confrontation. The numerical gap between the two sides at the top-tier combat power level of the Star River Realm is an objectively existing chasm.

About an hour later, Ling Xiao, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly opened his eyes!

boom!
A far more refined and vast aura than before, subtly resonating with the laws of the surrounding world, erupted from his body like a dormant volcano! The entire secret chamber trembled slightly. His eyes gleamed with a sharp light, as if countless tiny demonic shadows were appearing and disappearing, terrifying enough to devour everything.

After a moment, he closed his eyes again and slowly clenched his right fist. A vast and powerful force, filled with the rhythm of the Dao, naturally gathered and flowed at the tip of his fist, as if he were not holding a fist, but a small world that was evolving.

Star River Realm!
Although it's only the first level of the Star River Realm!
But this is absolutely a great step forward!

This is a huge watershed moment. Once crossed, the level of life, the essence of power, and the mastery of laws will undergo earth-shattering transformations.

In particular, his trump card will become exponentially more powerful.

The reason why he couldn't unleash the full power of his many trump cards, such as the Demon Lord Black Heaven Sword, the Xuan Snake Poison Heaven Sword, and the Annihilation Emperor Banner, and even used them with restraint, was that his own cultivation level was insufficient, making it difficult for him to fully control the power that transcended the limits.

Now that you've reached this level, everything will be different.

Although it still cannot be fully utilized, the power it can unleash is even greater.

Now, he no longer takes ordinary Star River Realm cultivators seriously.

He would only give a second glance to someone at the peak of the Star River Realm.

Of course, if it were that mysterious and unpredictable golden-armored woman with unfathomable strength... Ling Xiao's thoughts stirred slightly, and after assessment, he still felt that the chances of winning were slim, and the gap remained.